Banana Loaf Recipe - Flop-Proof Baking

My mother, Sandra, has had this Stork margarine baking book for many years, and in fact, it has stained pages from a lot of baking projects!

If you are in the mood for a delicious banana loaf bread - then try this recipe:

Banana Loaf (Flop-Proof Baking)

1/3 packet Stork Margarine (approximately 166 grams)
2/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 cup mashed banana
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat the oven to moderate (180 degrees Celsius)
2. Grease a loaf tin
3. Cream the Stork and sugar well
4. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well
5. Add the essence and mashed banana to the Stork mixture and blend
6. Sift the flour and salt
7. Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and blend well

8. Bake in the prepared tin for 1 hour
9. Remove from oven and leave for 5 minutes
10. Turn onto a cooling rack and cool

Enjoy!

Banana Bread - 1956

Have you got some overripe bananas in your kitchen? Then you have the ideal opportunity to whip up some banana bread, courtesy of the Methodist Women's Auxiliary (Cape District).

Cook With Confidence was first published in November 1957, during the 150th year of Methodism in South Africa.

If you have ever been to an event catered by the Women's Auxiliary then you know that these ladies can cook and bake! WA food is always exceptional! 

Submitted by the Knysna WA is this delicious banana bread recipe:

Banana Bread 

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar 
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 
Pinch salt 
2 eggs 
Vanilla essence 
3 ripe bananas 

Cream butter and sugar with mashed bananas. Add milk, flour, etc. (dissolve soda in milk). Bake in greased bread tin for about 3/4 hour in slow oven. 

(Note: 180°C degrees for 30 - 40 mins depending on your oven)

Enjoy!

The Vintage Kitchen 

Easter Recipe - Delicious Hot Cross Buns

Easter is just around the corner and what better bake is there than traditional Hot Cross Buns?

This recipe comes from one of my favourite recipe books, Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Cook Book from 1959.

Hot Cross Buns

2 packages active dry yeast or 2 cakes compressed yeast

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup milk, scalded

½ cup salad oil or melted shortening

1/3 cup sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

3 ½ to 4 cups sifted enriched flour

½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 beaten eggs

2/3 cup currants

1 slightly beaten egg white

Sifted confectioners’ sugar

Soften active dry yeast in warm water or compressed yeast in lukewarm water. Combine milk, salad oil, sugar, and salt; cool to lukewarm. Sift together 1 cup of the flour and the cinnamon; stir into milk mixture. Add eggs; beat well. Stir in softened yeast and currants. Add remaining flour (or a little more or less to make a soft dough). Cover with damp cloth; and let rise in warm place till double (about 1 ½ hours). Punch down.

Roll or pat out to ½ inch on lightly floured surface. Cut in rounds with 2 ½ inch biscuit cutter; shape in buns. Place on a greased baking sheet about 1 ½ inches apart. Cover and let rise in warm place till almost double (about 1 hour). If desired, cut shallow cross in each bun with sharp scissors or knife. Brush tops with egg white. Bake at 375° about 12 minutes, or till done. Add confectioners’ sugar (about ¾ cup) to the remaining egg white. Use this as a frosting for piping crosses on warm buns. Makes about 2 dozen.

With love from,

Images courtesy of http://thegraphicsfairy.com/

St Patrick's Day Vintage Recipe

With St Patrick's Day coming up, I thought it would be fun to get into the spirit and feature an Irish recipe!

This recipe comes from the 1965 edition of The Scottish and Irish Baking Book :

Ginger & Walnut Scones

1/2 lb / 226.7g flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 oz / 56.6g margarine

1 oz / 28g castor sugar

2 oz /56.6g chopped preserved ginger

1 oz / 28g chopped walnuts

1 egg

milk to mix

Sieve the dry ingredients, and cut and rub in the margarine. Add the sugar, chopped preserved ginger and chopped walnuts. Beat the egg and add a little milk. Use to mix all to a soft dough. Turn on to a floured board, toss over and roll out about 1-inch thick. Cut into scones, brush with egg and bake in a hot oven for 15 minutes. 

Enjoy! Or 'taitneamh a bhaint as'

With love from,

Cake Icing & Decorating - Jean Bowring

This lovely lady is Jean Bowring, who was an Australian writer and TV chef who hosted her own TV show 'The Jean Bowring Show' in Melbourne from 1957 to 1960.

Jean wrote this classic book, Cake Icing & Decorating, which is a guide to creating gorgeous cakes. One of my favourites in the book is this Tapestry Bag cake :

I love the fabulous pictures in this book, and though cake trends come and go, these cakes will always be classic!

This book is definitely worth adding to your collection!